Le New Look

I really enjoyed this it has a real calming atmosphere which makes it engaging and interesting. I felt like it was able to give just enough depth without being overly complex. The cast were good and of course where everyone is speaking English with a French in Paris it will always be off putting. But I was captivated by the story and the characters.

It's not a period I was so familiar with but I found it engaging and interesting. The way it's shot felt intimate and gave it an intensity. Also the scenes and location's felt realistic and gave the show a sense of realism. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

I didn't realize the subject matter when I first started watching, and it was a pleasant surprise. The design careers of Dior, Chanel, and the other couture houses are merely a backdrop to the painful period of Nazi-occupied Paris. The show deals with how people handle ethics, compromise, and survival under impossible circumstances.

At the time I'm writing this, most of the reviews here are quibbling with things I find unimportant. It's made for English-speaking viewers, so it's not in French, and some of the accents may not be perfect. But many of the performances are absolutely riveting, and the story is quite thought-provoking. It's also entertaining - worth a watch!

I don't understand the negative reviews-this series is riveting. Ben Mendelson is amazing as always. I didn't know about this piece of history and it makes for some edge of your seat viewing.

The rest of the cast is great as well, especially Juliette Binoche and John Malkovich. I've never seen Juliette Binoche play a villain before, and her character is genuinely menacing. It's also refreshing to see John Malkovich play a kind hearted person.

Anyone complaining about the accents is not focusing on the story itself, which is powerful, especially as it is based in truth. I give it a solid 9/10, drama for adults.

Ben Mendelssohn and Juliette Binoche give fine believable performances in this series. As does Maisie Williams as Catherine the sister of Christian Dior. Maisie, is of course incredibly well-known from Game of Thrones. In this role she was so believable and her performance so subtle that initially I did not realise who the actress was and had assumed she was a young French actress chosen for the role. The production quality is impeccable with especially sumptuous locations. The serious is almost worth watching for that reason alone. But unfortunately this is all rather badly let down by a light treatment that too often lacks any convincing emotional intensity. As such it belongs more in the realm of escapism than the serious drama the (based on a true life) story of intense courage and love truly deserves.

The New Look is worth watching based on the acting performances alone-Ben Mendelsohn, Juliette Binoche, Malkovich and Maisie Williams who since GoT has turned in multiple big performances. My complaint is the historical inaccuracy involving the Coco Chanel character and storyline which is nearly half the script. It shouldn't matter because Hollywood scripts aren't meant to be documentaries. But when the truth is more interesting than what the scriptwriters put to page why make the change? For some reason they make her conflicted and being pulled in by the Germans. In reality she was a full fledged sympathizer and shared their views decades before they marched into Paris. She was directed involved in using German Laws to attempt and seize the business from her partners. As some have said, instead they whitewashed and girl bossed her. The C. Dior storyline is much more historically accurate and entertaining. But for some reason they didn't feel the need to meddle as much with his biography.